Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-03-25

CAREFUL DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING 1T AND
FOR TAKING CARE OF THE YOUNG PLANTS
GROWN IN IT.
Ia.

The HOIbed.
CAREFUL. DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING IT AND
FOR TAKING CARE OF THE YOUNG PLANTS
GROWN IN IT.
From the Boston Journal
To those who desire very early vegetables
the hotbed is indispensable. but unless it
can be faithfully watched it does not add to
the happiness of the owner, for to return
home some night to find the young plants,
which had made such splendid progress as
tooutstrip those of all the neighbors, scorch-
ed and withered up by the sun of a hot
spring day just because some one had for
gotten 10 raise the sash TO give the plants
cool. fresh air, is very trying to any man
good nature If you cannot faithfully at
tend to a hotbed do not make one if you
can then try to start right Do not make
the mistake of digging a deep pit for the
manure and do not use manure that is cold,
thinking it will heat, for it viii not The
writer knows this by bitter experience.
The sashes for hotbed are usually three |
feet 10y six the frame for the sash should |
be three inches wider on the north than it is |
on the south side from nine to twelve inch |
frame should be set very nearly on the top |
of the ground, and it is best to have it on
the south side of "A high, tight board fence ; |
this will break off the cold winds, and will
also afford protection to the sash when
opened. In making the hotbed, first dig
out about six inches of the earth, then,
when the manure is ready pack 1t i'll some
lat ,.l.sAly from 81 a teu inches deem
according t. the season of the year the
earlier i'll the season the bed is started the
deeper must be the manure. The manure
should be stable manure, somewhat coarse
and wet and should be prepared by pitch
ing it over in heap large enough to readi-
ly heat, and when it gets quite hot it will be
in a condition to put into the hotbed. When
well packed into the frame, cover with
good, fine garden soil about three inches
deep The top of the soil thus put i'll
should come up 10 within three inches of
the sash, as the manure will settle some
before the plants are much above the
ground, thus giving them room enough to
grow, and they will grow better than if the
soil be six inches below the glass when the
he'd is made The seed should not be plant
ed for several days after the bed is made.
The soil should have time to settle and get
warm If the weather is cold the sash
should he covered a few days with a straw
mat with a shutter over the mat. These
coverings should be used cold nights until
spring opens.
The moment the young plants appear
above ground the watchful care must be-
gin the bed must be regularly watered
even before the seeds start and while care
must he taken not to keep the soil too wet,
equal care must be taken not To have it too
dry. either will prove fatal to the life Of
seeds or young plants but this work is en-
tirely in the hands of the gardener, who,
with good common sense and a little prac-
tice, will be able to improve in drenching
rain OF protracted drouth which both the
seeds and the plants in the open garden are
subject to. AT first the sash may be kept
closed, but the moment the young plants
begin to show themselves the weather must
he closely watched, and on warm sunny
days as soon as the sun gets high enough
10 warm the plants the sash must be raised,
not more than an inch at first, and then in
the middle Of the day raised higher. When
the weather is warm enough the sash should
during the warmest part of the day, be
opened entirely and fastened to the board
fence, but during March and most of April
care must be taken TO very nearly close the
sash as soon as the sun gets low enough tC
lose its heating power, but when the sea
son advances so there is occasionally
warm night the sash may be only partially
closed, except cool nights and even then i
the bottom heat continues it is not safe u
shut the sash tight, hut it should be raiseC
Just enough 10 let out the carbonic acid ga
which the decomposing manure generate
in large quantities, so large sometimes a
10 kill the plants if no opening is left for
10 escape A little practice will enable on
o. regulate the sash so as 20 air the plant
all that is needed, and also keep then
warm. Plants that are soon To be trans
ported into the open air should be hardene
somewhat in the bed before being removed
and this may he done by keeping the sas
opened most of the time during the day an
partially open during the night two @
three weeks before the plants are 70 b
Trans lldlllth uLlfsN AillN II uuilt, plhll
will be so tender that, when set in the ope
ground they will not grow we'll if they d
not die Lettuce radishes and beets shoul
bee sown in a hotbed that is 10 he kept COO
er than one where cucumbers, squash,
and beans are 70 be started 1t is alwa,
best % have two beds, that a division ma
he made of other plants, those that requii
the most heat put in one bed and those Il
least IN another.
While an ameteur gardener may IA
make much money from hotbed if he
So situated that he can attend % il at al
time in the day and possesses mind tn
reaches out in the direction Of a garde
he will get great satisfaction in watchii
the early growth Of his garden plants, tn
Is not u be measured by dollars and cent
a radish full grown when his neighbors a
sowing the seed, or a cucumber full grow
when no other vines in the neighborho
have put forth the first blossom, affordi
satisfaction that richly pays for days
Watchfu care, The close observer Of d
ture delights in aiding her in her efforts
produc, human food that is IA little out
srn-nu